Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what instructions his Department has provided to councils on paying residents the £150 council tax rebate for those households which do not pay council tax via direct debit; and what alternatives methods are available for paying the rebate other than it being paid directly into a bank account.

My Department has issued guidance and FAQs to help councils administer the council tax rebate. These set out that councils should contact eligible households that do not pay their council tax by direct debit to arrange a payment method. They also suggest secure payment options for households without a bank account, for example voucher-based payments and council tax account credits.